"Tabby, I'm, I'm, well, this is my home in SoHo," he said. "My real home."

"Huh?"

He walked over to the bed and sat down. She hadn't reacted the way he expected, but then he didn't tell her anything that was close to extraordinary. With his heart still galloping in his chest, he decided to just tell her.

And he would as soon as if figured out why he saw laughter in her eyes.

"As you saw back in the alley, I'm not human. I'm half fae and half djinn."

She huffed out a sigh. "Hell, you had to be something. You own a bar where shifters get drunk, dwarves shoot glasses of warm mud, and vampires sing karaoke."

The woman had a point.

"You're not scared?" he asked, watching her face for a reaction. He could see the questions and emotions flitting across her face. He watched wearily as she bounced between frightened and inquisitive. He didn't realize how long he held his breath until he saw her features settle into her familiar smart ass facade.

This was his Tabitha. The one who'd stolen his heart. If she'd fallen apart, he would have whisked her back to Texas with some memories of partying on a lover's deep pockets. Set her up in some little Podunk town with a bookshop and a good life.

If she'd launched at him in anger, he would have let the shields slide back into place, threatened to spank that curvaceous ass, and sent her to stay with Marla until he could figure out how best to keep her ass out of trouble. And thus out of his hair.

But she did neither of those things. No, not his feisty, smart Tabitha. His Tabitha rolled over and off the stately, high bed and padded over to his chest of drawers. Without asking, she rifled through his underwear until she came up with a thin cotton pajama top before turning to make her way to his inner suite.

"I'm gonna take a shower. When I get out, I need coffee and something not made of intestines to eat. You're gonna answer my questions, and then I am going to take a nap before I have to go to work. Oh, and I am not saving you any hot water."

Seamus sat rooted on the bed listening to Tabitha strip out of her clothes, and then step into the shower, before starting the spray. A smile played at his lips as he heard her little yelp as the first stinging cold droplets hit her skin before the water warmed to a comfortable temperature. She threatened to use all the hot water.

She couldn't know that he hadn't had a hot shower since the moment she'd stormed into his life three years ago. Suddenly he had a craving for steamy air and hot, soapy water sloshing over his body. His throat tightened to a point that it ached with the image of Tabitha's small hands dancing over his flesh. Cleaning his body with hers.

Standing, he kicked off his boots and stripped his shirt before striding to the bathroom. Once his bare feet hit the cold bathroom tiles he practically leapt in to the large glass-enclosed shower. The sight of Tabitha's creamy, mocha skin stretched over her curvy body made him forget to remove his pants.

"No need to save me any hot water. I'll just share with you," he ground out as he pushed his body close hers and took her lips with his.

Once his mouth touched hers, Seamus was lost. When she parted her lips and met his tongue, his erratic heartbeat slowed to a steady pace. The feel of her hand tracing his jaw, racing through his hair before settling on his shoulders brought him home.

Deepening the kiss, he tried to convey everything he'd been feeling. He poured his love and frustration into his kiss and tasted her acceptance in return. Pulling away, he watched as she slowly opened her eyes and let her smoky gaze drift over his hard body.